A Curious Feeling

Last updated

A Curious Feeling
ACuriousFeeling.jpg
Studio album by
Released8 October 1979
RecordedSpring-Summer 1979
Studio Polar Music Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
Maison Rouge (London, UK)
Genre Progressive rock
Length52:54
Label Charisma
Charisma/Polydor (US/Canada)
Caroline (US)
Producer Tony Banks, David Hentschel
Tony Banks chronology
A Curious Feeling
(1979)
The Wicked Lady
(1983)

A Curious Feeling is the debut solo album from English keyboardist Tony Banks. It was recorded at ABBA's Polar Music Studios during a brief hiatus for Banks's main group Genesis and released in 1979 on Charisma Records. It is one of only two of Banks' solo albums to have entered the UK Albums Chart, reaching 21 and staying on the chart for five weeks. [1] The album is a loose adaptation of the 1966 Daniel Keyes novel Flowers for Algernon . [2] Its cover was designed by Hothouse and contains Wuluwait - Boatman of the Dead by Australian artist Ainslie Roberts. It was digitally remastered in 2009.

Contents

History

The instrumental piece "From the Undertow" was used in the 1978 British film The Shout , for which Banks, with Mike Rutherford, composed the incidental music. No soundtrack of the film has been released. The piece was originally intended to be the intro to "Undertow" from the Genesis album ...And Then There Were Three... (hence the title).

Initially, producer & engineer David Hentschel couldn't attend the sessions at Polar Studios due to catching measles from his daughter at the time, so assistant engineer Dave Bascombe did the recording. [3] As Tony Banks elaborated, "at that stage [Bascombe] was pretty green and I was pretty green, so we put the basic tracks down and the results were pretty good, quite surprisingly." [4] Hentschel eventually recovered in time to oversee the final overdubs and mixing at Maison Rouge Studios in London. [3]

The album was re-released on 19 October 2009, [5] remixed from the original masters by Nick Davis, who also created a 5.1 DTS 96/24 surround mix which is available on the second disc of the deluxe edition.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]

According to Banks himself, the album "got some extremely scathing reviews, I don't think they were fair" but he conceded "this was post-punk and this was really not the album that people wanted to hear". [9] Classic Rock reviewer Jerry Ewing agrees with Banks, writing that the album is made of "lush pastoral English prog rock that deserved better at the time" and is probably the musician's best solo effort. [7]

AllMusic gave a positive retrospective review, asserting that "Banks manages to capture the wonderment and allure that enveloped Genesis' Peter Gabriel days... yet he filters out the instrumental intricacies, unorthodox time signatures, and complex poetry which enveloped these works to create a milder but equally effective progressive realm [sic]." They praised the album for lacking the instrumental pretentiousness that most would have expected, instead focusing on strong progressive rock compositions. [6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Anthony Banks

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."From the Undertow"2:45
2."Lucky Me"4:23
3."The Lie"4:58
4."After the Lie"4:47
5."A Curious Feeling"3:58
6."Forever Morning"5:59
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."You"6:28
2."Somebody Else’s Dream"7:45
3."The Waters of Lethe"6:27
4."For a While"3:32
5."Into the Dark"2:52
Total length:52:54

Personnel

Production

Charts

Album

YearChartPosition
1979UK Albums Chart [1] 21
1979US Albums Chart171

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesis (band)</span> English rock band

Genesis are an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, in 1967. The band's longest-existing and most commercially successful line-up consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins. In the 1970s, during which the band also included singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett, Genesis were among the pioneers of progressive rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Banks (musician)</span> British musician and multi-instrumentalist

Anthony George Banks is an English musician, songwriter, singer and film composer primarily known as the keyboardist and founding member of the rock band Genesis. Banks is also a prolific solo artist, releasing six solo studio albums that range through progressive rock, pop, and classical music.

<i>Nursery Cryme</i> 1971 studio album by Genesis

Nursery Cryme is the third studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 12 November 1971 on Charisma Records. It was their first to feature drummer/vocalist Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hackett. The album received a mixed response from critics and was not initially a commercial success; it did not enter the UK chart until 1974, when it reached its peak at No. 39. However, the album was successful in Continental Europe, particularly Italy.

<i>Foxtrot</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Genesis

Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 15 September 1972 on Charisma Records. It features their longest recorded song, the 23-minute track "Supper's Ready".

<i>Selling England by the Pound</i> 1973 studio album by Genesis

Selling England by the Pound is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 28 September 1973 on Charisma Records. It reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom and No. 70 in the United States. A single from the album, "I Know What I Like ", was released in February 1974 and became the band's first top 30 hit in the UK.

<i>Invisible Touch</i> 1986 studio album by Genesis

Invisible Touch is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 9 June 1986 by Charisma/Virgin Records in the United Kingdom, and on 6 June 1986 by Atlantic Records in the United States. After taking a break in 1984 for each member to continue their solo career, the band reconvened in October 1985 to write and record Invisible Touch with engineer and producer Hugh Padgham. As with their previous album, it was written entirely through group improvisations and no material developed prior to recording was used.

<i>A Trick of the Tail</i> 1976 studio album by Genesis

A Trick of the Tail is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released on 13 February 1976 on Charisma Records and was the first album to feature drummer Phil Collins as lead vocalist following the departure of Peter Gabriel. It was a critical and commercial success in the UK and U.S., reaching No. 3 and No. 31 respectively.

<i>Genesis</i> (Genesis album) 1983 studio album by Genesis

Genesis is the twelfth studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 3 October 1983 by Charisma and Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic Records in the US and Canada. Following the band's tour in support of their 1982 live album Three Sides Live, Genesis took an eight-month break before they regrouped in the spring of 1983 to record a new album. It is their first written and recorded in its entirety at their studio named The Farm in Chiddingfold, Surrey, and the songs were developed through jam sessions in the studio with nothing written beforehand. Hugh Padgham returned as their engineer.

<i>Wind & Wuthering</i> 1976 studio album by Genesis

Wind & Wuthering is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released on 17 December 1976 on Charisma Records and is their last studio album to feature guitarist Steve Hackett. Following the success of their 1976 tour to support their previous album A Trick of the Tail, the group relocated to Hilvarenbeek in the Netherlands to record a follow-up album, their first recorded outside the UK. Writing and recording caused internal friction, as Hackett felt some of his contributions were dropped in favour of material by keyboardist Tony Banks.

<i>...And Then There Were Three...</i> 1978 studio album by Genesis

...And Then There Were Three... is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Genesis. It was released on 31 March 1978 by Charisma Records and is their first recorded as a trio of singer/drummer Phil Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks, and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, following the departure of guitarist Steve Hackett. The album marked a change in the band's sound, mixing elements of their progressive rock roots with more accessible material, and Collins contributing to more of the group's songwriting.

<i>Duke</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Genesis

Duke is the tenth studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 28 March 1980 on Charisma Records. The album followed a period of inactivity for the band in early 1979. Phil Collins moved to Vancouver, Canada, in an effort to salvage his failing first marriage, while Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford recorded solo albums. Collins returned to the UK after his marriage ended and wrote a significant amount of material, some of which was used for Duke and some was later reworked for his first solo album, Face Value. Duke contained a mix of individually written songs and tracks that evolved from jam sessions in mid-1979, while recording took place at the end of the year. The break in activity rejuvenated the band, and they found the album an easy one to work on.

<i>Abacab</i> 1981 studio album by Genesis

Abacab is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 18 September 1981 by Charisma Records. After their 1980 tour in support of their previous album, Duke (1980), the band took a break before they reconvened in 1981 to write and record a new album. Abacab is the first Genesis album recorded at The Farm, a recording studio bought by the group in Chiddingfold, Surrey. It marked the band's development from their progressive roots into more accessible and pop-oriented songs, and their conscious decision to write songs unlike their previous albums.

<i>Calling All Stations</i> 1997 studio album by Genesis

...Calling All Stations... is the fifteenth and final studio album by English rock band Genesis. It was released 1 September 1997 by Virgin Records, and is their only album featuring Scottish singer Ray Wilson as frontman following the departure of longtime drummer/singer Phil Collins in 1996, making this their only album since Trespass in which the latter did not feature in any way. The remaining members—founding keyboardist Tony Banks and guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford—decided to continue the band and write new music for an album, during which they auditioned singers and picked Wilson.

<i>From Genesis to Revelation</i> 1969 studio album by Genesis

From Genesis to Revelation is the debut studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 28 March 1969 on Decca Records. The album originated from a collection of demos recorded in 1967 while the members of Genesis were pupils of Charterhouse in Godalming, Surrey. It caught the attention of Jonathan King who named the group, organised deals with his publishing company Jonjo Music and Decca, and studio time at Regent Sound Studios to record a series of singles and a full album. A string section arranged and conducted by Arthur Greenslade was added later on some songs. By the time Genesis had finished recording, John Silver had replaced original drummer Chris Stewart.

<i>Smallcreeps Day</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Mike Rutherford

Smallcreep's Day is the first studio album by English guitarist and songwriter Mike Rutherford, released in February 1980 on Charisma Records. It was recorded in 1979 during a period of inactivity from his rock band Genesis, during which Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks recorded their first solo albums. The 24-minute title track is based on the 1965 novel Smallcreep's Day by Peter Currell Brown which tells the story of Mr. Smallcreep and the journey of self-discovery he takes through the assembly line of the factory he has worked in for forty years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Hentschel</span> British recording engineer

David Hentschel is an English recording engineer, film score composer and music producer who engineered on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass and Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, as well as for such artists as Genesis, Tony Banks, Ringo Starr, Queen, Nazareth, Marti Webb, Andy Summers, Mike Oldfield, Renaissance, Peter Hammill and Ronnie Caryl.

<i>The Fugitive</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Tony Banks

The Fugitive is the second solo album by Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks. It was originally released in June 1983, on Charisma (UK), and Atlantic (US). It was produced by Banks himself, and co-produced by the Grammy Award–winning Stephen Short. The album is the only album in which Banks sings all of the lead vocals. On the previous concept album, A Curious Feeling (1979) all of the vocals were done by Kim Beacon. When that album did not turn out too successfully, Banks thought that it was pointless to continue that project. As compared to A Curious Feeling, the songs on The Fugitive were much more commercially accessible and less experimental.

<i>The Shout</i> 1978 British film

The Shout is a 1978 British horror film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski. It was based on a short story by Robert Graves and adapted for the screen by Skolimowski and Michael Austin. The film was the first to be produced by Jeremy Thomas under his Recorded Picture Company banner.

<i>Genesis 1976–1982</i> 2007 compilation album by Genesis

Genesis 1976–1982 is a box set of five studio albums by Genesis. It was released on 2 April 2007 in Europe & Japan by Virgin/EMI and on 15 May 2007 in North America by Atlantic/Rhino. The 6-CD/6-DVD box set includes newly remixed versions of the albums A Trick of the Tail, Wind & Wuthering, ...And Then There Were Three..., Duke, and Abacab. The sixth pair of discs includes B-side songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Many Too Many</span> 1978 single by Genesis

"Many Too Many" is a love song recorded by English rock band Genesis.

References

  1. 1 2 David Roberts British Hit Singles and Albums, Guinness World Records Limited.
  2. "Genesis News Com [it]: Tony Banks - A Curious Interview - 30th September 2009". www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  3. 1 2 David Hentschel Talks About Producing Both Tony Banks & Mike Rutherford's First Solo Albums
  4. Interview: Tony Banks (The Mouth Magazine)
  5. "Tony Banks - A Curious Feeling reissue!". 5 August 2009. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
  6. 1 2 "A Curious Feeling". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  7. 1 2 Ewing, Jerry (February 2010). "Tony Banks - A Curious Feeling". Classic Rock . No. 141. p. 92.
  8. Marco Rossi Record Collector, February 2010, Issue 372.
  9. Interview with Tony Banks. Johnnie Walker's Sounds of the Seventies. BBC Radio 2. 29 June 2014